Technology and Modernization Quotes in Into Thin Air

This is a simple case of supply and demand. As an increasing number of people attempt this treacherous climb—aided by all sorts of technological breakthroughs—a host of new businesses crop up to take advantage of this wealthy client base. But is this a good thing? As we'll learn, there's no easy answer to this question.

Everest Base Camp is a far cry from the rinky-dink campsites of our childhoods. This is a major consequence of the commercialization of Everest—more money means more investment into these luxurious creature comforts. Once again, however, we're left questioning whether these drastic changes are for the better.

There's a reason behind the climbers' use of advanced technology, however. Though there are a handful of brave souls who have managed to ascend Everest by themselves, the vast majority of expeditions require a great deal of infrastructure to be made possible.

Into Thin Air was written at the onset of the Age of the Internet (if you can even imagine such a time). These are the days of slow-as-molasses 56K modems and AOL Instant Messenger—the good old days. Given this freshness, many of the climbers on Everest are shocked by the instantaneous nature of the World Wide Web.

The older generation of climbers has little fondness for modern commercial expeditions. But Hall has a point here: Although paid guiding is less glamorous than the expeditions of yore, the job requires many skills that even the most talented solo climber might be unable to match. Just look at Anatoli Boukreev for evidence of that: Dude's a stellar climber but an unfocused guide.

Bottled oxygen represents the major conflict between the old-school approach to climbing and the modern one. For an old-school climber, using bottled oxygen to ascend a mountain devalues your accomplishment—it's like beating a video game with cheat codes. For a new-schooler, however, bottled oxygen is just another tool in a climber's arsenal.

This is one major problem with modern commercial expeditions. Instead of building a team based on climbing skill and group chemistry, Hall and his compatriots fill their teams with the highest bidders, many of whom have no idea what they're doing.

In particular, Boukreev gets too caught up in romantic notions of "pure climbing" to focus on his clients. One can debate the ethics of bottled oxygen until the cows come home, but it's crucial that guides use supplemental oxygen so they can better assist their clients. After all, you never know when your strength and experience is going to be needed.

That would be nice, but not very likely. The truth is that bottled oxygen (and other technological implements) will continue to be used on Everest because climbs are big money for the Nepalese government. Keep dreaming, Krakauer.

This is a perfect illustration of Murphy's Law, which states that "anything that can go wrong, will go wrong." As the Everest climbing industry expanded from a tiny operation to an internationally funded business endeavor, it became inevitable that these complex systems would eventually break down. Given that human lives are involved, that breakdown comes with immense consequences.